Symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis: Introduction

The types and severity of symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis varies between individuals. At the onset of the disease, the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can be vague and develop slowly. They may not include the classic symptom of joint pain that people often associate with arthritis. These indistinct, early symptoms may include fatigue, loss of appetite, and weakness. Other early symptoms include muscle achiness throughout the body and stiffness that lasts more than one hour after rising in the morning. Ultimately, joint pain develops and can be accompanied by inflammation and swelling in the joints. Joint pain generally affects wrists, fingers, knees, feet, and ankles on both sides of the body. Joint destruction may develop within 1-2 years after the onset of the disease.

Other symptoms may include problems with the eyes, deformities in the hands and feet, fever, paleness, anemia, nodules under the skin, swollen glands, and redness and inflammation of the skin.

Because of the generalized inflammatory nature of rheumatoid arthritis, it can affect almost any organ in the body and lead to life threatening complications. These include rheumatoid vasculitis, a type of inflammation of the blood vessels, which can lead to atherosclerosis, stroke, heart attack and other cardiac conditions. Skin ulcerations and infections, bleeding stomach ulcers, and nerve problems that cause pain, numbness, or tingling may also occur. The eyes can also be affected and the neck bones can become instable....more about Rheumatoid arthritis »

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms:
At the onset of the disease, the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can be vague and develop slowly. They may not include the classic symptom of joint pain that people often associate with arthritis. These indistinct, early symptoms may include fatigue, loss of appetite, and weakness. Other early symptoms include muscle achiness throughout the body and stiffness that lasts more than one hour after rising in the morning. Ultimately, joint pain develops and can be accompanied by inflammation and swelling in the joints. Joint pain generally affects wrists, fingers, knees, feet, and ankles on both sides of the body. Joint destruction may develop within 1-2 years after the onset of the disease.

Other symptoms may include problems with the eyes, deformities in the hands and feet, fever, paleness, anemia, nodules under the skin, swollen glands, and redness and inflammation of the skin.

Because of the generalized inflammatory nature of rheumatoid arthritis, it can affect almost any organ in the body and lead to life threatening complications. These include rheumatoid vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels) which can lead to atherosclerosis, stroke, heart attack and other cardiac conditions, skin ulcerations and infections, bleeding stomach ulcers, and nerve problems that cause pain, numbness, or tingling. The eyes can also be affected and the cervical spine (bones in the neck) can become instable....more about Rheumatoid arthritis »

Symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis

The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources
for Rheumatoid arthritis includes the 29
symptoms listed below:

Article Excerpts About Symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis:

Handout on Health Rheumatoid Arthritis: NIAMS (Excerpt)

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease that
causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function in the joints. It
has several special features that make it different from other kinds of
arthritis (see information box below). For example, rheumatoid arthritis
generally occurs in a symmetrical pattern. This means that if one knee
or hand is involved, the other one is also. The disease often affects
the wrist joints and the finger joints closest to the hand. It can also
affect other parts of the body besides the joints (see illustrations
below). In addition, people with the disease may have fatigue,
occasional fever, and a general sense of not feeling well (malaise).

Another feature of rheumatoid arthritis is that it varies
a lot from person to person. For some people, it lasts only a few months
or a year or two and goes away without causing any noticeable damage.
Other people have mild or moderate disease, with periods of worsening
symptoms, called flares, and periods in which they feel better, called
remissions. Still others have severe disease that is active most of the
time, lasts for many years, and leads to serious joint damage and
disability.

Although rheumatoid arthritis can have serious effects on
a person's life and well-being, current treatment strategies--including
pain relief and other medications, a balance between rest and exercise,
and patient education and support programs--allow most people with the
disease to lead active and productive lives. In recent years, research
has led to a new understanding of rheumatoid arthritis and has increased
the likelihood that, in time, researchers can find ways to greatly
reduce the impact of this disease.

Features of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Tender, warm, swollen joints.

Symmetrical pattern. For example, if one knee is affected,
the other one is also.

Joint inflammation often affecting the wrist and finger
joints closest to the hand; other affected joints can include
those of the neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, ankles, and
feet.

Fatigue, occasional fever, a general sense of not feeling
well (malaise).

Pain and stiffness lasting for more than 30 minutes in the
morning or after a long rest.

Handout on Health Rheumatoid Arthritis: NIAMS (Excerpt)

Some people also experience the effects of rheumatoid
arthritis in places other than the joints. About one-quarter develop
rheumatoid nodules. These are bumps under the skin that often form close
to the joints. Many people with rheumatoid arthritis develop anemia, or
a decrease in the normal number of red blood cells. Other effects, which
occur less often, include neck pain and dry eyes and mouth. Very rarely,
people may have inflammation of the blood vessels, the lining of the
lungs, or the sac enclosing the heart. (Source: excerpt from Handout on Health Rheumatoid Arthritis: NIAMS)

Understanding Autoimmune Disease: NIAID (Excerpt)

In people with rheumatoid arthritis, the immune
system predominantly targets the lining (synovium) that covers various joints.
Inflammation of the synovium is usually symmetrical (occurring equally on both
sides of the body) and causes pain, swelling, and stiffness of the joints. These
features distinguish rheumatoid arthritis from osteoarthritis, which is a more
common and degenerative "wear-and-tear" arthritis. (Source: excerpt from Understanding Autoimmune Disease: NIAID)

Arthritis: NWHIC (Excerpt)

In rheumatoid
arthritis, the hands are most commonly affected, but it can affect most
joints of the body. Inflammation begins in the synovial lining and can
spread to the entire joint.

Painful and knobby bone growths in the fingers are common, but usually
not crippling to osteoarthritis. The disease is often mild, but can be
quite severe. (Source: excerpt from Arthritis: NWHIC)

Arthritis Advice -- Age Page -- Health Information: NIA (Excerpt)

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be
one of the more disabling forms of arthritis. Signs of RA often
include morning stiffness, swelling in three or more joints,
swelling of the same joints on both sides of the body (both hands,
for example), and bumps (or nodules) under the skin most commonly
found near the elbow. RA can occur at any age and affects women
about three times more often than men. (Source: excerpt from Arthritis Advice -- Age Page -- Health Information: NIA)

Rheumatoid arthritis as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions

When considering symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis, it is also important to consider Rheumatoid arthritis as a possible cause of other medical conditions.
The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Rheumatoid arthritis may cause:

About signs and symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis:

The symptom information on this page
attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis.
This signs and symptoms information for Rheumatoid arthritis has been gathered from various sources,
may not be fully accurate,
and may not be the full list of Rheumatoid arthritis signs or Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis may vary on an individual basis for each patient.
Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they
are indeed Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.

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